We were thrilled to host distinguished guest speaker, Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s 43rd Secretary of State and Wendy Weiser,vice president, Brennan Center for Justice. Secretary Benson is a celebrated figure in the realm of electoral integrity and accessibility, and she has emerged as one of the nation’s foremost authorities in conducting secure and inclusive elections. The conversation was moderated by Wendy Weiser who directs the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center. Her program focuses on voting rights and elections, money in politics and ethics, redistricting and representation, government dysfunction, rule of law, and fair courts. This event provided an unparalleled opportunity to hear directly from Secretary Benson about her groundbreaking work in overseeing Michigan’s 2020 and 2022 general elections. These elections not only set records in voter turnout but also established new benchmarks in electoral security and transparency.
Listen to their insights into the challenges and triumphs of administering elections that have shaped the course of our democracy.
About Our Speakers
Jocelyn Benson is Michigan’s 43rd Secretary of State. In this role, she has become one of the nation’s most prominent leaders in ensuring elections are secure and accessible. Benson’s work overseeing Michigan’s 2020 and 2022 general elections, both of which drew record-breaking turnout and were more secure than any prior election in state history, earned her national recognition, including the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and the Presidential Citizens Medal. She also implemented new voting rights for all eligible Michiganders prior to the 2020 election, including the right to vote absentee, and oversaw more than 250 audits after the election, all of which affirmed its integrity and accuracy.
Jocelyn has been recognized for her work. She is a recipient of the 2022 Profile in Courage award from the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, the Defenders of Democracy award from the Center for Election Innovation and Research and most recently, was is serving in a leadership position with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS), the nation’s oldest, nonpartisan professional organization for public officials.
Wendy Weiser is vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center and founded and directed the program’s Voting Rights and Elections Project, directing litigation, research, and advocacy efforts to enhance political participation and prevent voter disenfranchisement across the country.
She has authored a number of nationally recognized publications and articles on voting rights and election reform, litigated groundbreaking lawsuits on democracy issues, testified before both houses of Congress and in a variety of state legislatures, and provided legislative and policy drafting assistance to federal and state legislators and administrators across the country. She is a frequent public speaker and media commentator on democracy issues. She has appeared on CBS News, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, PBS, ABC News, and NPR, among others; her commentary has been published in the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, and elsewhere. See link for more information here
